In the middle of a pandemic, Ghanaians queued at schools and community centres to register to vote all over again. The Electoral Commission had decided that the old voter register, compiled years earlier and updated many times, could not be trusted for the 2020 elections. The decision to start from scratch was one of the most contested electoral issues of the Fourth Republic.
The decision and identification
The Electoral Commission, led by Jean Mensa, said the old register had problems with accuracy and that a new biometric register would be more credible. The opposition National Democratic Congress and other groups opposed the plan, arguing that it was unnecessary, expensive and risked disenfranchising voters. The EC decided that only the Ghana Card and passports could be used as proof of identity, with guarantors for those without them. Old voter ID cards and birth certificates were not accepted.
The Supreme Court, COVID-19 and guarantors
The NDC challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. In June 2020, the court ruled in favour of the EC. Registration took place during the pandemic, with health protocols at registration centres. Critics warned of crowding, while the EC said precautions were in place. Millions of Ghanaians registered, and the new register was used for the December 2020 elections.
People without accepted IDs could register if two registered voters vouched for them, a system some said was open to abuse.
Disputes and continuous registration
There were reports of disputes and challenges at some registration centres. The 2020 election was won by Nana Akufo-Addo, and the result was challenged in the Supreme Court, which dismissed the petition. The EC later moved towards continuous registration and closer links with the Ghana Card database. The episode showed how central trust in the voter register is to Ghana’s democracy.
The cost and the Ghana Card
The cost of a new register was part of the debate. The EC argued it would save money in the long run by replacing outdated equipment, while opponents said the funds could be better spent. The argument ran for months in the media and in Parliament. The Ghana Card, issued by the National Identification Authority, became a central document for voters and later for banking and SIM registration.
Ghana’s elections are often praised as peaceful and credible. Much of that credibility rests on a list of names that, in 2020, the whole country had to help rebuild.
